Altarik Cullun, 27, was involved in an altercation with a 3-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier’s owner on Mattison Avenue when a knife was shown, said Victor Amato, chief humane law enforcement officer for the SPCA. The dog, named Coco, went to protect his owner and Cullun stabbed the dog in its chest with a steak knife.

“If a human being would have took that thrust [of the knife] it would have killed him,” Amato said in December.

The dog was taken to the Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey where it had lifesaving emergency surgery, Amato said.

Cullun pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty and was sentenced to pay more than $2,000 in fines and restitution.